Pool at One-Mile still without lifeguards

CHICO &GT;&GT; This will be another weekend absent of lifeguards at Sycamore Pool but the city hopes to have them in place soon.

Lifeguard staffing is a high priority for the city and it is struggling with a shortage of applicants, Public Works Director Ruben Martinez said Friday. The city has a small crew of at least seven in place that is finishing its certifications and then they will be able to assume their summer posts.

"We have additional candidates that we think are great possibilities," he said. "It will take a little longer to get them all set."

The city continues to accept applications, and is working to finalize contacts and necessary training, said senior park ranger Shane Romain. Filling the positions and starting lifeguard staffing is the highest priority for the park at this time.

Meanwhile, the city advocates for all pool users and parents of children at the pool to use caution and common sense. All users should be observant of warning signs such as "no diving" and stay out of the fish ladder and away from the dam, Romain said.

"Anywhere there is a danger sign and a warning sign, it's literal, so it's something they should be aware of," he said.

The pool can be a fun place, but like any water feature, it has risks, he said.

"We don't have those seven pairs of eyes on the pool all the time right now," Romain said. "For parents or whoever is at the pool providing supervision for the kids, they need to actually provide that supervision. So many times a parent is on one end of the pool and the child is completely on the other end."

This is believed to be the first summer in the pool's history the pool has not had lifeguards in place by Memorial Day weekend. The delay is attributed to a delay in recruitment by the city to hire lifeguards and related lack of qualified applicants.

The city typically hires 16 people to staff the pool during peak hours six days a week, with lifeguards working 12 to 25 hours a week. The part-time, seasonal positions run from Memorial Day to Labor Day to increase water safety efforts at the concrete pool built in Big Chico Creek at the One-Mile Recreation Area in Bidwell Park.

Sycamore Pool seasonal lifeguards earn $9.50 an hour if they are new to the city, and $10.25 if they have 400 hours of prior city service. Employees who end the season in good standing receive $1 per hour retroactive bonus and are also eligible for up to $150 reimbursement for the cost of obtaining lifeguard certifications.